Sharing a wide range of experiences and perspectives relating to mineralogy as a hobby

Thursday, June 21, 2012

The Off-Season

From left to right: Muscovite from Rangi, Tanzania, Tangerine Quartz from Minas Gerais; Vivianite from near Potosi, Bolivia; Spinel from Jensen Quarry, Riverside, California, Rutile from Graves Mtn., GA.

These are five of the six "stones" cited by The Book of Stones by Robert Simmons and Naisha Ahsian as metaphysical catalysts for "inspiration." The last time inspiration was necessary for Mineral Bliss to come up with a topic, we resorted to a post about the dichotomy between what the good stones book preaches and the various earth sciences that mineralogy embraces.

Late June through July isn't mineral season. Heat and high vegetation get in the way of field collecting; academia is mostly in recess; and as the operator of a mineral store on eBay, I can attest that business has slowed down considerably. Thanks to air conditioning, the onset of these canicular days heralds tackling the paperwork so oft neglected when the weather outside is more to my liking. It's a time to deal with photography and writing, if not through blogging, at least to shoot minerals and write up their descriptions for listings in the store, not to mention edit those riddled with typos and catachresis ? Or just as important: cataloging my mineral collection.

The importance of cataloging one's mineral collection would otherwise be great topic for a blog post right now. Doing so was my New Year's resolution for 2012. Deciding to use Excel software and perusing a DVD to explain how Excel works is as far as it's gotten. Time is running short. A week with family at the beach in July is committed, and after that how much fun it would be to drive cross country and back checking out mineral localities along the way.

For now, at least, I think I'll go into Excel, enter the five rocks shown in our title picture, and see where it goes from there.

By August, minerals will be back into season. The East Coast Gem and Fossil Show in West Springfield, Massachussetts will happen August 10-12. After that, the ad in Rocks and Minerals heralding the Dallas Mineral Collecting Symposium on August 25 reads the event will be killer. Come September, mineral season will be in high gear and will stay there til once again it's summer.